1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of food and beverage containers. More specifically, the device comprises a device for separating liquid and solid portions of soup within a container.
2. Description of Related Art
While the customary method for consuming soup is using a soup bowl and spoon, oftentimes a user will consume soup using a soup cup or another cup designed to hold contents that are hot such as a coffee mug or similar beverage container. Typically, an individual uses a beverage container instead of a bowl or larger container if he or she is on the go or does not have the time to sit and eat with a bowl and spoon, if the person is driving a car, or he or she may simply prefer eating soup from a more portable container. On most of these occasions the user is limited to using only one hand, in other words, the user is not able to hold the soup container in one hand while holding a spoon or other implement in the other hand.
An issue that arises when drinking soup from a cup is that the solid portions of the soup fall to the bottom of the cup. This makes it difficult for the consumer to ingest the solid portions without using a utensil or waiting until all the liquid contents of the soup are consumed. A simple solution to this dilemma is separating the solid portions of the soup from the liquid component.
The issue of separating solids from liquids in terms of food product consumption has long been recognized. An example of this is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,532 to Lichter (1977). The Lichter invention comprises a horizontally oriented, perforated surface that partially spans the inner cross section of a beverage container and clips to the lip of the container. The purpose of the device is to prevent ice from reaching the consumer's mouth or face, while allowing liquid to flow through the perforated holes contained in the device.
A few inventors took Lichter's invention and improved upon it. U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,712 (1998) to Costello describes a similar horizontal, perforated surface that clips to the lip of a beverage container. Costello improved upon the approach from Lichter by making the height of the bottom surface adjustable and by introducing a beverage container designed for the perforated surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,106 (1998) to Galluzzo describes yet another ice retaining device 10 that contains a perforated semi-circle 12 with a wedge 14 missing from the center. FIG. 1 shows the prior art presented by Galluzzo. The wedge 14 allows space for a user's nose and adjustability to fit the beverage container 16. In addition, the device is slanted downward, away from the lip of the container, to avoid interfering with the consumer's drinking experience. These devices are designed to keep solids away from the user's mouth and face.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,275 (1997) to Khattar and U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,307 (2000) to Fahy both relate to cereal bowls. The Khattar device provides a cereal bowl with two compartments that allow the consumer to saturate the cereal one spoonful at a time. The Fahy device provides a method for sieving out unwanted crumbs and broken up pieces of cereal.
U.S. Publication No. 2010/0001007 to Ferraro comprises a self-contained bowl used for separating solids from liquids. The Ferraro invention has an upper bowl containing a perforated area and a lower bowl. The upper bowl retains any solids while the lower bowl collects the liquid component of the food product. Although the prior art device is designed to separate solids from liquids and to keep the solids near the mouth of the container, the device is not intended for the food product to be consumed from the device. Analysis of the design demonstrates that the design is intended to separate the solids from the liquids, then transfer the contents as the consumer sees fit.
The prior art has attempted to solve the issue of separating solid portions of a food product from the liquid portions. While the prior art discloses methods for separating the solid portions of soup from the liquid portions, the most relevant techniques require using a device that simply separates the components without a means to efficiently consume the solid portion. The current invention solves this problem. The current invention allows the consumer to easily consume the solid portions of the soup by keeping the solid portions proximate the mouth of the cup. The device also allows for one-handed operation.